Combination corner lock and hanger

ABSTRACT

A combination corner lock and hanger for use with extruded frame members including a horizontal leg angularly disposed from a depending leg, both of the legs terminating in short projections extending at right angles thereto. The said corner lock terminates upwardly in a hanger which extends from the junction of the horizontal and depending legs. The adjoined frame members angularly connect in a mitered junction which is interiorly reinforced by the legs. Each frame member forming the corner is pre-punched to receive the short projections to securely lock the frame members upon the combination corner lock and hanger.

United States Patent Walters 1 Jan. 9, 1973 541 COMBINATION CORNER LOCK AND 898,751 9/1908 Krantz ..287/l89.36 x

HANGER [76] Inventor: Herbert J. Walters, 213 Fitzwater Pmfmry wflhamowsky S Pa. Assistant Exammer--Wayne Attorney-Karl L. Spivak [22] Filed: Nov. 6, 1970 21 Appl. No.2 87,535 [571 ABSTRACT A combination comer lock and hanger for use with 52 US. (:1 ..287/189.36H,52/656, 160/381 extruded frame members including a horizontal leg 51 1m. (:1 ..F16b 7/22 aflsularly disposed from a depending leg, both of the [58] Field 61 Search .287/l89.36 H; 160/381; 52/656 legs termmating in Short Projections extending at right angles thereto. The said corner lock terminates up- 5 References m wardly in a hanger which extends from the junction of the horizontal and depending legs. The adjoined frame UNITED STATES PATENTS members angularly connect in a mitered junction 3 342 514 9/1967 Ivanhoe etal. ..287/l89.36 H which is interim) reihfmced by the legs- Each frame 312941429 12/1966 Halip ..287/l89.36 H member forming the corner is P -P 10 receive 2,704,588 3/1955 Knott ..287/189.36 X the short projections to securely lock the frame mem- 3,080,621 3/1963 Mendelsohn ..287/l89.36 X bers upon the combination comer lock and hanger, 3,162,282 12/1964 Mendelsohn ..287/l89.36 X 2,342,537 2/1944 Geisler ..287/189.36 X 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures COMBINATION CORNER LOCK AND HANGER BACKGROUND OF THE. INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of building materials, and more particularly, is directed to a frame corner construction insert for reinforcing, locking and hanging the peripheral frame members of cabinet doors and the like.

It has become a common practice in the building industry to employ extruded aluminum or other metal peripheral frames for such items of building construction as cabinet doors, shower doors, sliding mirrors and the like. Such extruded aluminum frames are generally extruded to the desired shape and then shipped to the manufacturer for fabrication to the correct size and for installation of glass, mirrors or similar sheet material within the frame construction. In view of the frangible nature of glass and mirrors, frame angular junctions must necessarily be strong and rugged enough to withstand the stresses of continuous service without separation or undue flexing. Prior workers in the filed have long sought adequate strengthening members at the frame corners for securing the frame construction. One such prior corner joint of which I am familiar incorporates a connecting member having angularly disposed legs. The legs are provided with pairs of identical grooves which extend across the outer faces of the leg for insertion into the angularly disposed members. Pairs of fastening tongues are struck from the outer edge forming wall of each frame member and then turned inwardly into each of the grooves to provide a sturdy joint.

Another prior art construction of which I am familiar includes a frame corner fastener assembly which incorporates a connector member having a plurality of triangular teeth which extend therefrom. The connective member interfits within the channel sections of the frame which are provided with transfer grooves to receive the teeth to strengthen the corner joint. Other prior workers in the field have devised other methods of strengthening the corner junction of metallic framing members. However, all of the prior art devices are deficient in that they generally require considerable expenditure of skilled labor to properly seat the strengthening members within the frame construction. Also, most of the prior art reinforcing members of which I am familiar are relatively complicated in fabrication and therefore greatly increase the cost of manufacturing the complete frame assembly. Additionally, no prior art device is known which incorporates the functions of both reinforcing the angular junction of the frame members and also serving as a hanger for sliding engagement within a horizontal track. All presently known types of reinforcing joint construction require the installation of a completely separate hanger system, all of which results in increased costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a novel hard plastic corner lock and hanger assembly and cooperating extruded metallic frame members which have beenespecially designed to receive the corner lock assembly and to cooperate therewith to provide an inexpensive, strong and readily assembled joint.

In one embodiment, a nylon comer lock has been provided which includes a horizontal leg and a vertical leg depending from one end thereof in substantially right angle relationship. Both the horizontal leg and the depending leg terminal in short projections which form at right angles thereto for securing and locking the respective frame members comprising the corner junction. An integral hanger rises from the corner lock at the angular portion thereof and includes horizontal grooves for sliding within a horizontal track to thereby impart horizontal sliding travel to the finished frame assembly. The upper frame members intersect at right angles in a mitered joint and each of the angularly intersecting members is provided with punched openings which align with the corner lock projections when the frame members are assembled in finished angular relationship. The short projections insert into the openings to securely lock the angularly intersecting frame members in tight, inexpensive junctions.

It therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved comer lock and hanger of the type set forth.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel, combination corner lock and hanger assembly incorporating formed nylon insertion pieces cooperating within extruded metallic frame members.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel combination corner lock and hanger which includes an angular, plastic insertion piece provided with projections at the ends thereof, the projections interfitting within and locking into openings provided in metallic frame members which in turn are secured in angular relationship by the lock.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combination comer lock and hanger assembly incorporating a formed, plastic angular joint reinforcing member, the reinforcing member being provided with integral hanger means for sliding engagement within a horizontal track.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel combination comer lock and hanger incorporating a resilient plastic member having lock means secured within the frame construction by utilizing the natural resiliency of the material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel combination corner lock and hanger that is inexpensive in manufacture, simple in assembly and trouble-free when in use.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the following description and claims of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pair of horizontally sliding doors employing the combination comer lock and hanger, partially broken away to expose interior construction.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of the broken away area of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, perspective view of the combination corner lock and hanger.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial, elevational view of the comer of a frame member, partially broken away to expose intemal reinforcing arrangement.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along Lines 5- 5 ofFIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of my invention selected for illustration in the drawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in FIG. 1 a pair of sliding doors 10, 12 which may be of the type generally employed for cabinets, shower doors or the like. Each door comprises a peripheral frame 14, 14 which is preferably fabricated of extruded aluminum sections which are mitered at the corners thereof in well known manner to form a rectangular enclosure. The area enclosed within the frame members l4, 14 may be a panel 16, 16' of thin, relatively rigid material such as glass, plastic or other desired construction. The doors 10, 12 position in horizontal, sliding arrangement in conjunction with a horizontal track 18 as hereinafter more fully set forth.

A combination corner lock and hanger 20 is fabricated to a generally L-shaped configuration from a relatively hard, machinable material having limited resiliency and a relatively low co-efficient of friction. I have found solid nylon plastic to be suitable for this purpose. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the combination corner lock and hanger includes an upper horizontal leg 22 and a vertical leg 24 which depends at right angles from one end of the horizontal leg 22 to form a corner 26 of precisely 90 angular relationship for joining the horizontal and vertical frame members 28, 30 in the manner hereinafter more fully set forth. The horizontal leg 22 terminates outwardly in an upwardly facing, short, vertical projection 32 which rises above the horizontal top surface 34 of the horizontal leg 22. Preferably, the projection 32 extends a distance equal to the thickness of the top of the frame member 20. Similarly, the vertical leg 24 terminates downwardly in a short, horizontal projection 36 which extends horizontally beyond the side 38 of the vertical leg 24. The projection 36 extends a distance equal to the thickness of the side of the frame member 30.

An integral hanger 40 rises above the corner 26 and rearwardly terminates at a vertical plane drawn through the side surface 38 of the vertical leg 24. The hanger 40 extends inwardly from the vertical plate above the side surface 38 towards the vertical projection 32 a distance sufficient to provide adequate strength for hanging and sliding of the doors l0, 12 as hereinafter more fully set forth. The hanger 40 is formed with a pair of right and left horizontal slots 42, 44 for sliding and hanging engagement upon the horizontal track 18 as hereinafter more fully set forth.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the horizontal frame member 28 is punched or otherwise treated to provide a top opening 46 to receive the short vertical projection 32 therein in locking engagement. Similarly, the vertical frame member 30 is punched or otherwise treated to provide a side opening 48 to receive a short horizontal projection 36 of the corner lock hanger 20 in locking engagement therein. As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4

and 5, both the horizontal and vertical frame members 28, 30 are extruded to provide a respective corner lock receiving horizontal channel 50 and a vertical channel 52 of generally rectangular configuration and of dimensions to closely overfit the cross sectional dimensions of the respective horizontal and vertical legs 22, 24 of the combined corner lock and hanger 20. It will be noted thatthe extremities 54, 56 of the comer lock legs 22, 24 are narrower at the projection ends to provide limited flexibility for assembling the frame corner mitered joints 58, 58'. A second channel 60, 62 peripherally inwardly forms in the respective horizontal and vertical frame members 28, 30 and inwardly opens to receive the glass or other panel 16 therein in peripheral engagement.

In order to make up the joints 58, 58', the ends of the horizontal and vertical frame members 28, 30 are angularly cut to 45 to form a mitered junction in well known manner. The horizontal and vertical channels 50, 52 which have been extruded in the frame members remain available to receive the corner lock 20. The horizontal leg 22 of the corner lock 20 inserts into the horizontal channel 50 of the horizontal frame member 28. As can best be observed in FIG. 4, the vertical distance from the bottom 64 of the horizontal leg 22 to the top of the short projection 32 is greater than the height of the channel 50. Thus, the leg 22 must bend slightly at the extremity 54 as the leg 22 inserts into the channel 50 until the short projection 32 reaches the top opening 46 which aligns therewith when the leg 22 is fully seated in the channel 50. The natural resiliency of the material of the corner lock 20 then serves to return the leg 22 to its initial position at the extremity 54 with the projection 32 firmly seated within the top opening 46 to thereby lock the horizontal leg 22 within the horizontal channel 50. Similarly, the overall length from one side 66 of the vertical leg 24 to the outermost surface of the horizontal projection 36 is greater than the width of the channel 52. Thus, the vertical arm 24 flexes at the extremity 56 as the arm inserts into the vertical channel 52 until the projection 36 reaches the side opening 48. The natural resiliency of the material of the comer lock 20 urges the projection 36 into the opening 48 for locking purposes and returns a vertical arm 24 to its original condition at the extremity 56. Thus, the respective projections 32, 36 securely seat within the openings 46, 48 to securely lock the arms 22, 24 within the respective channels 50, 52. The natural resiliency and the angular relationship of the legs 22, 24 serve to lock the frame members 28, 30 angularly together. The dimensions of the respective members are carefully controlled to tightly draw the horizontal and vertical frame members 28, 30 together to form tight miter joints 58, 58' when the corner lock 20 is fully seated. The horizontal frame member 28 is slotted at its junction end to provide an opening 68 to receive the upwardly extending hanger portion 40 therein. See FIG. 5. Inasmuch as the slotted opening 68 extends only the length of the hanger 40, there is no structural weakness imposed by this opening.

In order to use the invention, a horizontal track 18 comprising a pair of right and left tracks 70, 72 is atfixed at the top of the cabinet or opening and is rigidly secured in position in the usual manner. The top hangers 40 of the sliding door 10 position within one track 70 at the right and left slots 42, 44 and the top hangers 40 of the second door 12 position within the second track 72 at the right and left slots 42, 44 thereof to thereby permit side by side, horizontal sliding arrangement within the tracks. As best seen in FIG. 2, the right and left horizontal projections 74, 76, and 78, 80 of the tracks 72, 70 ride within the respective hanger grooves 42, 44 to thereby support the doors hangers l0, 12 in horizontal, sliding engagement. As hereinbefore mentioned, the material of the hangers 40 preferably has low co-efficient of friction characteristics to facilitate sliding engagement of the hangers 40 within the tracks 70,72. In order to adequately support a door 10, 12 both of the upper right and upper left corners should be provided with the combination corner lock and hanger construction 20 in the manner hereinbefore set forth.

I claim:

1. In a frame construction comprising horizontal and vertical members which define the outer periphery of a door or window and which intersect at the corners thereof, wherein the said horizontal and vertical members are formed of extruded shapes having respective horizontal and vertical channels therein, the combination of A. a corner lock for reinforcing the said intersection between the horizontal and vertical members, said corner lock having a horizontal leg and a vertical 1. the said legs joining at an angle of 90 to form an angular junction.

2. the said legs each being generally rectangular in cross sectional configuration.

a. each said leg being of cross sectional configuration to slidingly fit within the respective horizontal and vertical channels,

3. each leg having a planar outer surface which faces the outer periphery and a planar inner surface which is parallel with the outer surface,

4. each leg terminating endwardly in a resilient extremity having cross sectional configuration which is less than the cross sectional configuration of its associated leg,

a. each extremity carrying a locking projection, said locking projection extending peripherally outwardly from the said planar outer surface of its associated leg terminating in a top, and

b. the overall height measured perpendicularly from the planar inner surface to the top of the locking projection being greater than the height of the respective associated horizontal and vertical channels,

5. each horizontal and vertical frame member being provided with an opening which receives one said locking projection therein when the comer lock fully seats to reinforce the said intersection,

a. the said extremities flexing to allow the projections to insert into the channels when the corner lock is being positioned for use,

b. the natural resiliency of the extremities serving to force the projections into the said openings when the corner lock fully seats to lock the corner to the horizontal and vertical frame members; and B. a hanger integrally formed with the corner lock and having two ends, said hanger rising above the planar outer surface of the horizontal leg,

l. said hanger terminating at one end thereof in a surface which lies in the same vertical plane as the outer surface of the vertical leg,

2. said hanger incorporating a pair of horizontally juxtaposed track receiving grooves, and

3. said horizontal leg being provided with an opening to receive a portion of the hanger therein when the corner lock in fully seated in operating position. 

1. In a frame construction comprising horizontal and vertical members which define the outer periphery of a door or window and which intersect at the corners thereof, wherein the said horizontal and vertical members are formed of extruded shapes having respective horizontal and vertical channels therein, the combination of A. a corner lock for reinforcing the said intersection between the horizontal and vertical members, said corner lock having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg,
 1. the said legs Joining at an angle of 90* to form an angular junction.
 2. the said legs each being generally rectangular in cross sectional configuration. a. each said leg being of cross sectional configuration to slidingly fit within the respective horizontal and vertical channels,
 3. each leg having a planar outer surface which faces the outer periphery and a planar inner surface which is parallel with the outer surface,
 4. each leg terminating endwardly in a resilient extremity having cross sectional configuration which is less than the cross sectional configuration of its associated leg, a. each extremity carrying a locking projection, said locking projection extending peripherally outwardly from the said planar outer surface of its associated leg terminating in a top, and b. the overall height measured perpendicularly from the planar inner surface to the top of the locking projection being greater than the height of the respective associated horizontal and vertical channels,
 5. each horizontal and vertical frame member being provided with an opening which receives one said locking projection therein when the corner lock fully seats to reinforce the said intersection, a. the said extremities flexing to allow the projections to insert into the channels when the corner lock is being positioned for use, b. the natural resiliency of the extremities serving to force the projections into the said openings when the corner lock fully seats to lock the corner to the horizontal and vertical frame members; and B. a hanger integrally formed with the corner lock and having two ends, said hanger rising above the planar outer surface of the horizontal leg,
 1. said hanger terminating at one end thereof in a surface which lies in the same vertical plane as the outer surface of the vertical leg,
 2. said hanger incorporating a pair of horizontally juxtaposed track receiving grooves, and
 3. said horizontal leg being provided with an opening to receive a portion of the hanger therein when the corner lock in fully seated in operating position.
 2. the said legs each being generally rectangular in cross sectional configuration. a. each said leg being of cross sectional configuration to slidingly fit within the respective horizontal and vertical channels,
 2. said hanger incorporating a pair of horizontally juxtaposed track receiving grooves, and
 3. said horizontal leg being provided with an opening to receive a portion of the hanger therein when the corner lock in fully seated in operating position.
 3. each leg having a planar outer surface which faces the outer periphery and a planar inner surface which is parallel with the outer surface,
 4. each leg terminating endwardly in a resilient extremity having cross sectional configuration which is less than the cross sectional configuration of its associated leg, a. each extremity carrying a locking projection, said locking projection extending peripherally outwardly from the said planar outer surface of its associated leg terminating in a top, and b. the overall height measured perpendicularly from the planar inner surface to the top of the locking projection being greater than the height of the respective associated horizontal and vertical channels,
 5. each horizontal and vertical frame member being provided with an opening which receives one said locking projection therein when the corner lock fully seats to reinforce the said intersection, a. the said extremities flexing to allow the projections to insert into the channels when the corner lock is being positioned for use, b. the natural resiliency of the extremities serving to force the projections into the said openings when the corner lock fully seats to lock the corner to the horizontal and vertical frame members; and B. a hanger integrally formed with the corner lock and having two ends, said hanger rising above the planar outer surface of the horizontal leg, 